Ma calls security meeting, urges calm

Kim died of a heart attack last Saturday on a train trip. His death has sparked immediate concern over who is in control of the reclusive state and its nuclear programs.

Ma said his government is closely working with other nations in the geographic area to monitor the future development of the Korean Peninsula.

In fact, the government has been paying close attention to the latest news regarding Kim Jong Il (金正日) since Nov. 25, according to Ma.

In the wake of Kim's death, the president said Taiwan-North Korea relations are still stable and as it is expected that there won't be a strong impact on Taiwan's diplomacy or defenses in the short term, Ma said in the press conference.

Kim Jong Un (金正恩), Kim Jong Il's youngest son, is widely expected to assume the leadership after he was appointed to senior political and military posts in 2010.

National Security Meeting was Convened

In response to reports that South Korea is on the highest military security alert and Japan officials are also very nervous over the Northern Korean strongman's death, Ma said that although Taiwan is not immediately adjacent to North Korea, the government is on high alert to the possible impact of Kim's death and follows the issue carefully.

Accompanied by Vice President Vincent C. Siew (蕭萬長) at the press conference, Ma added that he has consulted his top national security advisers on this issue. And a national security meeting was convened as Cabinet officials from Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Finance under National Security Council Secretary-General Wu Wei-chen (胡為真), to evaluate the potential international, cross-strait and economic impact Kim's death would have on Taiwan.

Ma Confident in Market Growth

Although the local stock market plummeted yesterday after the news of Kim's death, Ma said that Taiwan has a healthy economic platform and relatively stable growth, therefore Taiwanese should remain confident.

According to the Bureau of Foreign Trade, the trade between Taiwan and North Korea is of a small amount and only has a very limited influence on Taiwan's economy.

Ma called for regional stability while urging other nations in East Asia not to over react in the face of the dynamic future of North Korea after the Kim Jong Il era. The Taiwan government is now on a 24-hour watch and the public has no need for concern.

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